Austrian gov’t begins work on constitutional ban of ‘Political Islam'

The Austrian government is initiating efforts to constitutionally ban “political Islam,” with Integration and Europe Minister Claudia Bauer tasked with drafting a proposal. Chancellor Christian Stocker advocated for the legislation, stating that political Islam is “incompatible with democracy and Western values” and expressing concerns about its influence in schools. Stocker emphasized the importance of upholding Austrian legal systems and equal rights, asserting, “It cannot be allowed to happen in this country that a preacher dictates things rather than Parliament.” This move follows a 2020 establishment of the Documentation Center for Political Islam, which defines the ideology as aiming to influence society according to values that contradict democracy and human rights, and has researched groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Diyanet.